Topless photos latest travel rage

Three friends began documenting their travels by removing their tops and sharing with the world on Instagram.

Story highlights

Three students in UK start topless travel photo trend

Travelers send in topless photos from around the world

The Topless Tour has nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram

Irreverent?

Obscene?

Glorious?

While some parts of the world are instituting bikini bans and campaigning for travelers to cover up, elsewhere, travelers are encouraging others to take it off on social media for everyone to see.

What began as a spontaneous idea and Instagram post has sparked a stream of travelers to send in fun, topless photos -- taken from the back -- to be featured on the social media channels of the Topless Tour, which began as an Instagram project.

Judging from the enthusiastic response and growing number of participants, there's something about posing topless that heightens the feeling of liberation and adventure while traveling.

That number is increasing quickly as the trio and a growing community continue to document their travels with bare backs.

Although the topless photos come predominantly from women, many men have submitted as well.

"We never imagined it would have such global reach and appreciation," Edginton said. "It was always just something we would hope would catch on, never really thinking it would happen."

For the trio leading the Tour, the best part of the experience has been hearing people's stories from all over the globe, and how the project has helped people "feel themselves again, be proud of who they are and love their beautiful bodies," said Edginton.

"One of our followers recently said these lovely words: 'All that pressure and judging went away. And so did my shirt. I felt free, happy, and me.' "